"Patriotic" Traitors: Dutch National Socialists In Peace and War
... Thus during the entire occupation period, the NSB became an isolated and hated minority, despised even more than the Gennan oppressor. Yet, there were many harmless NSB-ers who did not betray fellow citizens and who felt embarrassed over many occupation policies. Why did they not resign from the par ...
... Thus during the entire occupation period, the NSB became an isolated and hated minority, despised even more than the Gennan oppressor. Yet, there were many harmless NSB-ers who did not betray fellow citizens and who felt embarrassed over many occupation policies. Why did they not resign from the par ...
4 May speech - Buruma EN - Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei
... platform had already been completely surrounded by the German police. It had been announced in advance that young men who did not immediately sign up for labour in Germany would not only pay the penalty themselves: their parents too would be arrested. My grandfather left the decision entirely to his ...
... platform had already been completely surrounded by the German police. It had been announced in advance that young men who did not immediately sign up for labour in Germany would not only pay the penalty themselves: their parents too would be arrested. My grandfather left the decision entirely to his ...
Netherlands in World War II
The involvement of the Netherlands in World War II began with its invasion by Nazi Germany on 10 May 1940. The Netherlands had proclaimed neutrality when war broke out in September 1939, just as it had in World War I, but Hitler ordered it invaded anyway. On 15 May 1940, one day after the bombing of Rotterdam, the Dutch forces surrendered. The Dutch government and the royal family escaped and went into exile in Britain.Following the defeat, the Netherlands was placed under German occupation, which endured in some areas until the German surrender in May 1945. Active resistance was carried out by a small minority, which grew in the course of the occupation. The occupiers deported the majority of the country's Jews to Nazi concentration camps, with the cooperation of the Dutch police and civil service. In fact, the Netherlands saw one of the highest levels of collaboration during the Holocaust of any occupied country. As a result about 75% of the country's Jewish population were killed during the conflict; a much higher percentage than comparable countries, like Belgium and France.Most of the south of the country was liberated in the second half of 1944. The rest, especially the west of the country still under occupation, suffered from a famine at the end of 1944, known as the ""Hunger Winter"". On 5 May 1945, the whole country was finally liberated by the total surrender of all German forces.